Main > Compendia > History > Campaigns > The Old Gods

Details

Time Played: 2011
Historical Era: Dawn Age
System: Homemade history-building LARP system
GM: Jason, Alex
Players: Jeff P, Karen S, Karen E, Eric, Chris S, Lynn, Heather, Kim, Steve, Rob, Paul G, Paul S, Jeff C

Summary

The goal of this game was to establish the details of the return of the egyptian pantheon to the world as a result of meddling with the Apparatus of Aeon in Unnecessary Evil.

This game was conducted over the span of 6 hours in the format of a large macro-social LARP, using a system designed by the GMs. Each player represented either a recently risen god or a society of mortals. They took actions that were highly abstracted using an economy of "influence" that could be "raw", or specialized for "magic", "military", "culture", or "economy". The game followed the interactions of these gods and factions some time after the end of the Dark Age.

The game began with the rise of the old gods of Vashad, which was itself a byproduct of the the epilogue of Unnecessary Evil. The gods had not existed in the world for centuries and did not recognize the world after the transformations since the Time Storm. They attempted to instill themselves into the cultures that already existed in the lands of Vashad, which were themselves busy trying to war, ally, and influence each other.

The history that this game built spans several decades, perhaps as much as a century or more (such things will be decided in the timeline of the history section).

In the early years, the Cabal worked on a Wizard Tower and a science museum to centralize their power and took control of the neighboring lands of Haraj Radaam. The orphaned nobles of Acrolon worked on improving their culture by creating an aphrodisiac drug market, central to their "Pleasure Guild", and a marketing campaign for it. Both the Barigor Orcs and the Vashar attempted to conquer the natives of Dahlnu Valley, but the Orcs prevailed over the Vashar, and had enough strength left-over to secure the region. The Barigor Orcs also conquered the region of Aradir, while the Vashar refined a banking system. The Binn Haria funded Revelers in their homelands, which attracted many merchants and travelers. They also migrated a gypsy clan in the Peaks of Aqtam. Thrahua expanded their market, attracting much trade. The Goliaths crafted the Tablets of the Hajadin, a cultural artifact.

Later, the gods influence began to surface. Serukh inspired the Barigor Orcs to build a war cult in his name. Herokor was able to inspire several nations, and built temples to protect his wealth and a priesthood to cultivate magic power. The Goliaths built a fortress to guard the near-by territory of Majira and founded the Shapers Guild in the Peaks of Aqtam, providing culture. The Barigor continued their war march, conquering The Vales. The Binn Haria invested more in their Revelers, sent a dervishes clah to Majira, herders to the plans of Bhan Esani, a Circus in the Peaks of Aqtam, and founded gypsy clans in Dosan's Fall and Bhan Mtol (which were skilled fortune tellers). The Cabal tamed the Whispering Barrens and built an expansive alchemy campus in Haraj Radaam, while Thrahua improved its military forces with a trained army and began training mages in a Wizard's Guild. The Vashar settled the Emerald Coast, while Acrolon continued improving its marketing industry for its Pleasure Guild and failed to conquer the wild Southern Talivesh forest. Theret used his Acrolon followers to construct a great library in Nova Agria.

In the next turn, Thrahua continued to improve its market, attracting commerce, and conquered the North Talivesh forest. Serukh improved the lethality of his war cult and used his divine power to destroy the marketing campaign being used by Acrolon for their Pleasure Guild - perhaps to disarm Acrolon from corrupting the Orcs during their successful invasion of Nova Agria, the Acrolon homeland. The Orcs, apparently staying true to their negotiations with the Vashar also withdrew from Dahlnu Valley, allowing the Vashar to finally claim it without much trouble. The Vashar also improved their banking system and built an army in The Holds, via their navy. Acrolon finally succeeded in conquering the Southern Talivesh forest, giving their leadership somewhere to retreat when the Orcs sacked Nova Agria, and they also increased the potency and addictive qualities of the drugs in their Pleasure Guild. The Cabal cast a powerful passivity enchantment on the Whispering Barrens and Haraj Radaam, hindering any war to pass into or through that region, protecting the Pillars of the Moon. With the allure of their culture, the Goliaths were able to colonize Aechemar, the City of Mists.

In the following turn, Raheem converted the Barhaya of the Southern Talivesh, ousting the nobles of Acrolon from their homeland. The Acrolonians bribed the Orcs to leave Nova Agria, and returned to their own homeland, feverishly improving their drug-addicted Homeguard military and their spy network to anticipate future threats. Akhura, dissatisfied with her influence over the mortal factions inflicted a curse on several nations that spurned her: The Cabal and the Orcs. Similarly spurned, Ishasti cursed the Orcs with infertility, creating a rift between the warrior tribes and the hearth mothers back in the Barigor Mountains. The Cabal settled in the Pillars of the Moon, and created a powerful portal that would send their agents to the furthest shores of Vashad instantly. Using this device, the Cabal built a research post in the Emerald Coast. Harokor constructed a grand Cathedral of Purity for culture in Bhan Mtol and a University of Law, gifted to the Vashar in Emerald Coast. The Orcs, after withdrawing from Nova Agria conquered northward, taking Haraj Radaam. The Vashar conquered The Holds with its local army and continued to improve its banking system, producing enormous wealth. The Binn Haria established a network of gypsy fairs, producing culture and wealth in numerous regions across Vashad. Serukh's warrior cult grew in strength and obliterated Dahlnu Valley, making it a ruined pit, uninhabitable by the Vashar. Thrahua constructed a massive wall in the Northern Talivesh forest, protecting Thruahua lands from invasion. They also improved their navy and their armies.

In the final turn, Raheem's Barhaya conquered The Holds from the Vashar, while the Vashar continued to improve its banking (destroying its poverty) and through its cultural appeal, conquered the pirate capital Istilqa Matar. Akhura lifted her curse from the Cabal, whose members in the Pillars of the Moon had become infested with vampires that agreed to venerate her, but not from the unapologetic Orcs. The Binn Haria established gypsy clans in the Emerald Coast, Southern Talivesh, and Nova Agria, becoming by far the most populous and disperse faction in Vashad. Acrolon built a network of spies and assassins in the distant courts of Thrahua and Vashar. Serukh used his final divine power to destroy the powerful passivity enchantment in the Haraj Radaam, allowing the Orcs that converted to Harokor to Serukh to conquer the region. However, other Barigor Orcs were converted by the Binn Haria on their march back to Central Barigor Mountains to punish the hearth mothers. These Orcs joined the gypsies and settled in The Vales. However the power of the Serukh's warrior cult was not swayed by the Binn Haria, and they devastated Central Barigor, nearly wiping out the hearth mothers, who were only saved by their acceptance of devotion to Ishasti who developed an intense hatred for Serukh. The combined magical and cultural might of the Goliaths, the god Theret, and the Cabal crafted a vessel for the Great Spirit of Earth, an impossibly powerful being. Thrahua improved its culture and commerce through better merchant guilds and a university with an amazing library, creating the most prosperous city in Vashad.

Epilogue

Dosan's Fall
- Settled by the Binn Haria Ruk
Eastern Fireson Steppes
- Settled by the Binn Haria Ruk
- Revelers are a powerful cultural feature
Western Fireson Steppes
- Settled by the Binn Haria Ruk, their ancestral homeland
Bhan Mtol
- Settled by the Bhan Ruk
- Binn Haria fortune tellers are a cultural feature
Peaks of Aqtam
- Settled by the Bhan Ruk
- Site of the Tablets of Hajadin cultural artifact
- Home of the Shapers Guild of Bhan Ruk
Majira
- Settled by the Bhan Ruk
- Ptahet's Hammer fortress is a military feature
Haraj Radaam
- Settled by Barigor Ning, converted to Harikor
- Settled by Binn Haria Ruk
- Cathedral of Purity, devoted to Harikor is a religious feature
- Alchemy complex founded by the Cabal of Mysteries
Whispering Barrens
- Settled by the Cabal of Mysteries
- Passivity enchantment that stifles violence is a supernatural feature
Pillars of the Moon
- Settled by the Cabal of Mysteries
- Home to the Knights of Theret that protect knowledge
- Farstep Door is a supernatural feature that teleports to other Farstep Doors on Vashad
- Tower of Night is a science museum cultural feature
- There is a coven of vampiric wizards, cursed by Ankhura
Kouros
- Settled by Qawin Ruk
Aradir
- Settled by the Serukh Ning
Aechemar
- Settled by the Bhan Ruk
- Temple of Trials is a cultural feature
- The Great Work with the Cabal is a supernatural feature
Northern Barigor Mountains
- Settled by the Sum Ruk, loyal to Serukh
Central Barigor Mountains
- Settled by the Ashashti Ning Hearth Mothers
- Barigor Ruins is a historical feature
Southern Barigor Mountains
- Settled by the Sum Ruk, loyal to Serukh
Nova Agria
- Settled by Lascivian Nobility
- Great Library of Theret is a cultural feature
- Serukh Ning Mercenaraies are a military feature
- Spy network is a military feature
- Pleasure Guild is a cultural and economic feature
- Oracles of Binn Haria Rukis a supernatural feature
- Crime syndicate is a economic feature
- Iron Costers trade guild is an economic feature
- Far Tower shadow mage guild is a supernatural feature
North Tabil Forest
- Settled by the Thrahua
- Great Oak Wall is a military feature
- Settled by Binn Haria Ruk
South Tabil Forest
- Settled by Barhaya Ruk
- Settled by Binn Haria Ruk
Bhan Esani
- Settled by the Thrahua
- Thrahua Capital, most amazing city in Vashad
Narr al Janna
- Settled by Ruk
- Settled by Binn Haria Ruk
Qudassi
- Settled by Thrahua Ruk
- Cathedral to Ankhura
The Holds
- Settled by Barhaya Ruk
- Cathedral to Raheem
Istilqa Matar
- Settled by Vashar
The Vales
- Settled by Binn Haria Ning
- Settled by Binn Haria Ruk
Dahlnu Wastes
- Uninhabitable destruction from Serukh dark miracle is a supernatural feature
Emerald Coast
- Settled by Vashar
- Settled by Binn Haria Ruk
- School of Law (Harikor, Vashar) is a cultural feature
- Cathedral to Harikor is a cultural feature
- Emerald Outpost is a military feature
Cape of Dark Waters
- Settled by Vashar
- Banking System is an economic feature

The state of the Gods:

Almatet (Autumn)
- Worshipped by Vashar
- Influences the secret society of vampires of the Pillars of the Moon
Ankhura (Spring)
- Worshipped by the Ashashti Ning, Thrahua Ruk
Harikor (Day)
- Worshipped by Vashar (vengeance angle), New Agria, Haraj Radaam Ning
- Cathedrals include military presence
Ptahet (Form)
- Worshipped by Bhan Ruk
Raheem (Summer)
- Worshipped by Barhaya Ruk
Serukh (Night)
- Aradir Ning
Shai (Destiny)
- Not worshipped
Tefiri (Winter)
- Not worshipped except by isolated cults
Theret (Pattern)
- Worshipped by Cabal of Mysteries, Nova Agria

Canon

This game is entirely canonized, though some of the names and details are tweaked for internal consistency.